uppity

adjective Informal.

affecting an attitude of inflated self-esteem; haughty; snobbish.

rebelliously self-assertive; not inclined to be tractable or deferential.

Origin:
1875–80, Americanism; probably up + -ity, extended form of -y¹; cf. pernickety

Related forms

up·pi·ty·ness, noun

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To uppity

Collins

World English Dictionary

uppity (ˈʌpɪtɪ)

—*adj*
1.	not yielding easily to persuasion or control
2.	another word for uppish

[from up + fanciful ending, perhaps influenced by -ity]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Relevant Questions

What Rhymes With Uppity?

00:10

Uppity is always a great word to know.

So is quincunx. Does it mean:

an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

uppity

1880, from up + -ity; originally used by blacks of other blacks felt to be too self-assertive (first recorded use is in "Uncle Remus"). The parallel British variant uppish (1678) originally meant "lavish;" the sense of "conceited, arrogant" being first recorded 1734.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

uppity definition

[ˈəpədi]

mod.
haughty. (Folksy.) : Why is she so uppity?

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Matching Quote

"I've been described as a tough and noisy woman, a prize fighter, a man-hater, you name it. They call me Battling Bella, Mother Courage, and a Jewish mother with more complaints than Portnoy. There are those who say I'm impatient, impetuous, uppity, rude, profane, brash, and overbearing. Whether I'm any of those things, or all of them, you can decide for yourself. But whatever I am —and this ought to be made very clear—I am a very serious woman."

-Bella Abzug

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Related Words

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